Scientists Unsure About Chemical Health Hazards

OTHER NEWS TO NOTE - SOUTH

May 4, 1993

ATLANTA — International scientists conceded Monday that they don't know how much exposure to hazardous waste or even everyday chemicals causes illness. About 750 environmental experts gathered for the first international conference on the health effects of hazardous waste - a science they agreed is in its infancy despite the proliferation of toxics. There are 5 million known chemicals in the world, with 1,500 developed each year. Yet there is good data on the health effects of only about 10 percent, said Dr. Bernard Goldstein, a New Jersey environmental health expert. There is even less information about how hazardous waste dumps affect people, said Dr. Kenneth Olden of the National Institutes of Health.